Goof-up by Railways Leaves 155 Stranded

BENGALURU: Chaos broke out at the Yeshwantpur railway station on Wednesday when 155 passengers waiting on Platform 4 realised their train had departed six hours before the time printed on their tickets.

Tickets for the Yeshwantpur-Secunderabad Garib Rath Express mentioned 7.15 pm as the time of departure, and the electronic boards kept reiterating the time, but the train was nowhere in sight.

As tension built up, passengers learnt from hawkers and porters that their train, No 12736, had left at 1.30 pm.

In panic, they rushed to the enquiry counter and the station master’s room, only to learn that the train had indeed left long before they had even arrived at the station. The irate passengers then mobbed railway officials, demanding an explanation. The Railway Protection Force rushed in, and top officials dashed to Yeshwantpur from different parts of the city. They gathered at the waiting room on Platform 1 to manage the crisis.

The railways had taken a decision to change the time of departure two months ago. The change was communicated to the public through the media, according to Additional Divisional Railway Manager Sunanda Arul.

However, the Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website, on which tickets can be booked 60 days in advance, had not incorporated the change. More info